Tuesday, 4 June 2019

PARLIAMENT is targeting to complete the electoral law
reform process in the next two months before the lapse of the First Session of
the Ninth Parliament to allow the country to lay the foundation for the 2023
harmonised elections.

This comes as Parliament has described a petition presented
by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) as a sound document which
complies with Section 149 of the Constitution, further reinforcing the
participation of the public in the law reform process.

Addressing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and civic society, including ZESN
here, Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda said the petition had come
at an opportune time to strengthen the country’s democratic processes.

“Let us be mindful of some sense of urgency on this matter
of trying to achieve free, fair, transparent and credible elections in 2023.
Thus, the time to start the process of electoral reforms is now before the
lapse of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament.

“Within two months, we must produce a prototype electoral
law that will satisfy our aspiration for free, fair, transparent and credible
elections in 2023.”

Adv Mudenda hailed ZESN for the work it was doing in the
electoral law reform process, saying the petition filed by ZESN on December 3,
2018 was an important pillar in democracy.

“This petition, therefore, comes at the most vital moment
in that it creates thorough leverages to interrogate and take stock of our
electoral laws, identify gaps and shortcomings in our electoral system that can
be refined in order to promote and enhance democracy, transparency and an
effective democratic electoral system,” Adv Mudenda.

“It is, therefore, appropriate and salutary that the
petitioners (ZESN) are now desirous of seeing electoral law reforms which
beckon Zimbabwe to embrace and implement its commitments under the African
Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance as well as the SADC Principles
and Guidelines for Democratic Elections so that the electoral law creates clear
voting related rights.”

While desirous of strengthening democracy, said Adv
Mudenda, there was need for caution about what constitutes international best
practices.

“We have to be really guarded because who are these people
who define international best practices. I think here they talk of democracy in
the mould of Western countries but elections do take place in Eastern countries
also. Some under one-party state, some if they are lucky under two-party state
and for some it’s a family affair.”

Adv Mudenda said the same Western countries that pose as
paragons and advocates of democracy do immeasurable trade with some of the
countries with the worst human rights records.

He said the template and benchmarks change when it comes to
Africa, adding that democracy evolved in Western countries over 300 years in
some cases, often with gory tales of murder and coups. Africa and Zimbabwe in
particular, Adv Mudenda said, was being criticised for lagging behind in terms
of implementing gender parity, but the movement started way back in England
around 1919.

ZESN chairperson Mr Andrew Makoni said it was important for
legislators to look into the issue of electoral reform now when they had
sufficient time before the 2023 elections.

Mr Makoni welcomed Parliament’s decision to work on the
electoral reform process before the lapse of the First Session of the Ninth
Parliament as setting the right tone for free, fair, transparent and credible
elections in 2023. Herald